Audiobooks

03/04/2009

The fundamental concept behind Operation Crazy Idea is to publish more
things, more often, at lower price points. The simplicity and immediacy
of POD technology, the Long Tail, and Kevin Kelly's 1000 True Fans
Model (I hate that term, but I love the idea behind it) have all worked
together to make the first effort in Operation Crazy Idea, Sunken Treasure, a huge success.

This
morning, I got a genuinely Crazy Idea that I've spent much of today
creating: An audio version of my Criminal Minds production diary.

"Why aren't you just doing an audio version of the whole book?" You may ask.

"Well," I would say, "because that wouldn't be a Crazy Idea."

What
is a Crazy Idea, though, is recording the whole production diary,
adding in the usual asides and extras, ending up with something that's
about 118 minutes long, and selling it on Lulu for $5.

"Why $5?" You say.

You ask a lot of good questions, person-who-I-made-up-who-is-different-from-the-person-I-made-up-yesterday.

It's probably worth more than that, but since the audio quality isn't as produced as the Happiest Days or Just A Geek audiobooks, I thought it was a fair price. Besides, I've learned from the PDF sales of Sunken Treasure
that it's possible to reach a lot of people at a very affordable price
point and still get a decent return on my investment. I'm not getting
rich off of this stuff, but I'm hopeful that if I do enough projects
like this, that are affordable and easy to purchase, over the course of
a year it will add up to me supporting my family. If that happens, this
officially becomes Operation Awesome Idea. If I earn enough to buy some
toys, it's Crazy Awesome.

I decided to do this particular
project today (total time from inception to completion: about 5 hours)
because my episode of Criminal Minds is airing tonight, and I thought
it would be cool to do this version right now, instead of waiting until
I could book studio time for the full audiobook.

02/11/2009

SPECIAL NOTE: THIS AUDIO VERSION IS CURRENTLY UNAVAILABLE, DUE TO LULU.COM ENDING THE SALE OF AUDIOBOOKS. I'M SEARCHING FOR ALTERNATIVE DISTRIBUTION.

You can buy the audio version of The Happiest Days of Our Lives right here, for just $19.72. "Why $19.72?" You ask? Because that's the year I was born, and since nobody else is the boss of me, I can do that sort of thing. "How long is it?" You say? "That's what she said!" I reply. Then I tell you that it's about three and a-half hours long, and we laugh and laugh before the episode ends with a hilarious freeze frame.

Unlike the audio version of Just A Geek, the audio performance of The Happiest Days of Our Lives will only be available as a download. We found that the costs associated with creating and shipping physical media for JAG:tA vastly outweighed the benefits, and most people just rip the CDs to their favorite digital format, anyway.

Now, I'm sure most of you reading this don't need to hear it, but I'm a dad, and that means I often say things at great length that don't need to be said, so I'd appreciate it if you pretended to listen. I've made it really clear that I despise DRM and think it's stupid, and I will never willingly infect something you buy from me with DRM. In accordance with my philosophy, there is no DRM or restriction of any kind on this audiobook. I don't think I'll lose any sales of The Happiest Days audiobook to piracy, because people who would steal from me aren't people who wouldn't buy it, anyway, but I need to say this. If you're considering trying to steal it in some way, there's very little I can do to stop you – it's a game of whack-a-mole that I don't have the time or resources to play – but I hope you'll consider that when you steal from me, you're not sticking it to a giant company with millions of dollars in annual revenue. When you steal from me, you're directly hurting my family, because this is how I support the four of us (and our dogs, who say that they love you no matter what, because they're dogs and that's what they do.)

This journey is a fascinating read, made even more intimate and
fulfilling by Wil's narrative. This is not just an audio book, it's a
glimpse into the psyche of the man who considers himself...
Just a Geek. NOTE: Due to graphic language, some content may be unsuitable for
younger audiences.

I'm very proud of the audio book. I've talked in the past about what
a huge letdown my experience wih O'Reilly was on the print version of
the book, and much of the joy I'd hoped to feel with its release has
instead come from the recording of the audio version, which ended up
being a performance, with asides, commentary, and reflections on the
material that aren't in the print version of the book. I guess it's
like I'm reading the book to you, and occasionally setting it down to
give some meta-commentary on various passages.

Product Description Wil Wheaton has never
been one to take the conventional path to success. Despite early
stardom through his childhood role in the motion picture "Stand By Me",
and growing up on television as Wesley Crusher on "Star Trek: The Next
Generation", Wil left Hollywood in pursuit of happiness, purpose, and a
viable means of paying the bills. In the oddest of places, Topeka,
Kansas, Wil discovered that despite his claims to fame, he was at heart
Just a Geek.

In
this, his newest book, Wil shares his deeply personal and difficult
journey to find himself. You'll understand the rigors, and joys, of
Wil's rediscovering of himself, as he comes to terms with what it means
to be famous, or, ironically, famous for once having been famous.
Writing with honesty and disarming humanity, Wil touches on the
frustrations associated with his acting career, his inability to
distance himself from Ensign Crusher in the public's eyes, the launch
of his incredibly successful web site, wilwheaton.net, and the joy he's
found in writing. Through all of this, Wil shares the ups and downs he
encountered along the journey, along with the support and love he
discovered from his friends and family.

The stories in Just a Geek include:

- Wil's plunge from teen star to struggling actor - Discovering the joys of HTML, blogging, Linux, and web design - The struggle between Wesley Crusher, Starfleet ensign, and Wil Wheaton, author and blogger - Gut-wrenching reactions to the 9-11 disaster - Moving tales of Wil's relationships with his wife, step-children, and extended family - The transition from a B-list actor to an A-list author

Wil
Wheaton--celebrity, blogger, and geek--writes for the geek in all of
us. Engaging, witty, and pleasantly self-deprecating, Just a Geek will
surprise you and make you laugh.